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VOL. XXIII NO. 21, February 16-28, 2014
The early days of Koothu-P-Pattarai
(by E.R. Gopalakrishnan) A former actor/director of Koothu-P-Pattarai.

Na. Muthuswamy and P. Krishnamoorthy

It was a fashion in the early 1970s to drop names like Che Guevara and Pablo Neruda to project yourself as different and progressive. It was a kind of branding in a soft form. In recent times, Koothu-P-Pattarai has become a sort of brand for many. Many new actors in movies these days make it a point to declare their association with Koothu-P-Pattarai or their training there. I am indeed happy about the publicity it generates for the organisation, but it amuses me when I reflect on its beginnings.

It was sometime in 1976-77 that Na. Muthuswamy, supported by ‘Pragnai’ Rangarajan (aka Veerachamy), was crusading for Terukoothu with the cooperation of Cre-A Ramakrishnan. Their immediate task was threefold – first, to mobilise resources to rehabilitate Terukoo thu; second, to work towards gaining acceptability for Terukoothu in the ‘cultural space’ of Chennai; third, to persuade Purisai Kannappa Sambandham to return to his village and learn whatever he could from his father Purisai Kannappa Thambiran instead of driving an autorickshaw in Madras for his livelihood. Na. Muthuswamy and Cre-A Ramakrishnan provided the financial cushion for Sambandham during that period.

It was a wonderful gesture, given their personal constraints. Their efforts were not wasted, going by the recognition Purisai Kannappa Sambandham enjoys today as a leading Terukoothu exponent and the recognition gained by Terukoothu in the classical milieu of Chennai.

There has been some criticism that Muthuswamy was trying to remove the rustic element and raw beauty of Terukoothu and that he was killing the true spirit of the form. Others, however, have hailed and compared his endeavour with Dr. Shivarama Karanth’s efforts in reviving Yakshagana in Karnataka.

* * *

I first came to know about the activities of Koothu-P-Pattarai in 1977 through a pamphlet given to me while I was sharing a room in a narrow bylane in Karolbagh, New Delhi. The pamphlet was an appeal for donations to support the activities of Koothu-P-Pattarai in reviving Terukoothu. There was no indication that the organisers were also involved in contemporary theatre activities.

This was the time when Venkat Swaminathan, in his writings, was highlighting the lack of initiatives for new experiments in the field of art and literature in general, and in the field of theatre and cinema in particular in Tamil Nadu. In his book Paaliaiyum Vaazhaiyum (Desert and Oasis), he laments the Tamil environment that lacked the urge to improve its quality in artistic expressions, and the lack of will to strive to be at par with works presented in other regions of India and abroad. He was also critical of the lethargy of Tamils in making efforts to expand their inventiveness in artistic expression. His observations were the result of his exposure to varied works of art (fine arts and performing arts) facilitated by his living in Delhi for nearly four decades. He used to express similar sentiments at the meetings of the Delhi Tamil Writers’ Association.

Venkat Swaminathan introduced me to the plays of the National School of Drama presented at NSD’s small indoor auditorium and at the Purana Qila. There were plenty of programmes at other venues too. Street plays were staged in the university area or in Connaught Place. As I had lived in the ‘sabha culture’ as a resident of Triplicane for over 20 years, my exposure in Delhi convinced me that there was truth in Venkat Swaminathan’s concern. I too began to feet that we had not moved any further in the field of theatre and cinema, compared to the works of people from West Bengal, Kerala and Karnataka and even the works from a small State like Manipur were simply overwhelming. Most people working in the field of theatre in Tamil Nadu do not make sincere efforts to know or experience what is happening the world over. Stagnation by itself is not a problem but not being aware of it should definitely be a matter of concern.

* * *

I returned to Madras in 1978 and found the theatre scenario by and large unchanged. The Street Plays of Gnani and ‘Veedhi’ Ramaswamy were the only new additions. Dr. Rajendran was part of the Veedhi Nataka Iyakkam. He went on to qualify from NSD, where he is now Director-Research. During this time, Na. Muthuswamy’s Naarkalikkarar was translated by Alfred Franklin and staged by students of Guindy Engineering College.

This was also the time Na. Muthuswamy was working on forming a modern theatre repertoire. He brought in K.C. Manavendranath and P. Krishnamoorthy to work together. Krishnamoorthy, an artist from the College of Fine Arts, Madras, is one of the early entrants in cinema as an art director. I too joined the group.

(To be concluded)

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The sorry state of our Fort
What the Law proposes the hawkers duly dispose
A mistress-maid case of long, long ago
An Indo-Ceylon dream of the 20th Century
Tales from History to Degree Coffee
The Early Days of Koothu-p Pattarai
The Mylapore Fest

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